The invention is directed to a soft trim part which is particularly suited for the interior finishing of motor vehicles. The invention is also directed to a method for manufacturing such a soft trim part.
A conventional soft trim part is manufactured of two parts, i.e. of a crash pad and of a soft trim, whereby the soft trim is composed of a carrier material and of a decorative material such as, for example, fabric applied thereon. Such a soft trim part has the disadvantages that the carrier material differs from the material of the crash pad, must be separately manufactured and a laminating glue is also required for the application of the decorative material. Over and above this, at least two steps are needed for laminating decorative material on such a soft trim part. Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a soft trim part wherein; a single plastic and no laminating adhesive is required in addition to the decorative material and, potentially, one or more clad, foam-covered fastening carriers. A further object underlying the invention is to provide a method for the manufacture of such a soft trim part.
This object is inventively achieved by a soft trim part of the species for the interior finishing of, in particular, motor vehicles that comprises an EPP formed part that is manufactured of a material composed of expanded polypropylene (EPP) balls, a decorative material, particularly fabric and/or foil, and, potentially, one or more clad, foam-covered fastening carriers, whereby a stiff, pressed, solid, skin-like carrier layer is fashioned on that side of the EPP formed part facing toward the decorative material, the decorative material being held without additional adhesive on said carrier layer, forming a unit with the EPP formed part.
It can thereby be provided that the specific weight of the EPP material amounts to between 24 kg/m.sup.3 and 90 kg/m.sup.3.
The specific weight of the material preferably amounts to 70 kg/m.sup.3.
It can also be provided that the density of the pressed, solid carrier layer amounts to about 500-900 kg/m.sup.3, preferably 800 kg/m.sup.3.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the thickness of the pressed, solid carrier layer amounts to between 0.1 and 1.5 mm and preferably amounts to 1.0 mm.
The object with respect to the method, further, is inventively achieved by the following method steps: 1. heating a defined edge zone of the EPP formed part, and 2. applying and pressing the decorative material onto the heated edge zone.
It can thereby be provided that the thickness of the edge zone amounts to between 1 and 30 mm.
The edge zone preferably amounts to 10 mm.
It can also be provided that the edge zone is heated to a temperature of between 150 and 200.degree. C. and, preferably, to a temperature of 180.degree. C.
It can be provided over and above this that the edge zone is heated over a duration of between 2 and 60 sec.